Bio
Hi! My name is Isa (they/them) and I am a scenic designer and artist. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Northwestern University with minors in gender and sexuality studies, and engineering design.
My studies in design have included: hand and computer drafting, modeling, drawing, scenic painting, prop fabrication, and industrial design. I also have eight years of carpentry experience and feel at home in a shop.
My approach to design is curious, explorative, and collaborative. Through my scenic design, I explore the storytelling involved in transitions and transformations.
Artist Statement
When I look around me, I am moved by a world that is curated, invented, and designed. Our environment has such a profound impact on our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is this interrelation between internal processes and external stimuli that excites me about scenic design.
I thrive in working environments that value process over product and focus on collaboration, experimentation, and growth. I am working towards a community of theatre that is actively antiracist, equitable, and radically kind.
My design process is an exploration of visual storytelling and world building through color, transformation, and strong visual impact. Through my visual study of material, space, and shape, I create sculptural environments that elicit and inform emotional responses. I am inspired by the complex relationship between architecture and the natural world and reflect on this conflicted coexistence in my work. The goal of my design is to transport viewers into a revitalized, ephemeral environment– whether it be down the street or across the universe.